Drink driver who killed Sheffield dad punched stranger after he told her boyfriend not to urinate on woman at Drake concert

Polly Rippon

The devastated widow of a Sheffield dad killed after he was mowed down by a drink driver says her family has been 'failed by the justice system' after his killer was convicted of assault – but not sent back to jail.

Emma Egan, aged 29, was back in court and handed a community order after she admitted assaulting a man during a gig at the Manchester City Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

Eric Codling with his wife Karen and daughters Eve and Grace

Egan punched a stranger who told her boyfriend off for urinating on people.

She lost her temper with Gary Tann after he told her boyfriend he should not urinate on a woman sitting in front of him at a Drake concert.

Fauod Elhabba, 27, had been relieving himself at the gig. When Mr Tann said it was unacceptable Egan attacked him, pulling him over a row of seats.

At the time she was on licence for causing the death by dangerous driving of Eric Codling.

Eric’s widow Karen, of Millhouses, said: “I’m absolutely gobsmacked. It’s unbelievable, she has learnt nothing from causing Eric’s death and her time in prison clearly hasn’t acted as a deterrent. As far as I’m concerned we haven’t had any justice at all. We have been failed by the system.

“The last four years have been the toughest time for our family. We have had to make new memories and things will never be the same again.”

Egan was jailed for four years in 2014 at Sheffield Crown Court. She was told to serve two years in jail and remains on licence for two more years - meaning should she commit another crime during that period she should go back to prison to serve the rest of her sentence.

Eric, 55, who has two young daughters with Karen, was riding his bike along Whirlowdale Road, Whirlow, in November 2013 when Egan, who was over the drink drive limit and travelling at around 69mph, struck and killed him.

She had been chasing boyfriend, Liam Dent, who was travelling in a car in front of her, after he dumped her. At the original trial, Egan, of Ashworth Green, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, argued through her barrister that she was ‘profoundly sorry’.

But just three years later, at the end of August, she appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court charged with assault and was given a community order, 160 hours unpaid work and told to pay her victim £200 compensation.

She escaped jail after the court heard she had a ‘promising future’ and was making ‘significant progress’ with probation officials.

Karen, said: “I cannot understand why she hasn’t been recalled to prison. Surely if she re-offends while on licence she has to be recalled?”

After his death, Karen at lawyer, set up cycle safety charity Ride For Eric in her husband’s memory which has raised thousands of pounds through an annual bike ride held in Sheffield.